Sue Holland - July 2004 - Saratoga Springs, Port Orleans French Quarter, Old Key West

Time of Year: Summer
Travel Method: Personal car
Resort: SSR, POFQ, OKWR
Accommodations: 1-BR Villa
Ages Represented in Group: Adult
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Veteran
Comments: Sue finally makes a long visit to Walt Disney World and it is a good one. Lots of friends, lots of fun, and her first stay at Saratoga Springs.

Sue Holland -- February 2004 - Walt Disney World (SSR, POFQ, OKWR)

Note: As Sue spent time at Pleasure Island and in other adult venues on this trip, this report has some information that may not be appropriate for young readers.

Who/When/Where:

Who:

Sue (me - 45), DVC member
The infamous Wilmots from Scotland - Larry, Jill, Greg & Ed
The famous romance novelist Leanne Burroughs (7/3-5)
Golfer and good friend for many years - Tom Burroughs (7/3-5)
Tom & Leanne's daughter & grandson - Kim & Chris (7/3-5)
Alabama belle Shan & son Cody (7/3)
Splitting her time between Kissimmee and Comedy Warehouse - Leesa
One of my favorite co-workers - Mike from Tallahassee (after 7/11)
Fortress/DVC friend Pat & daughter Cara (after 7/10)
Fortress friend Amy/Missy & hubby Brian, sons Brian Jr. & Zach (7/11)
My second in command at work - "Belle" & her twin sister Rose (7/15)
Dates: July 2 - 15, 2004 excluding 4 days spent at home mid-trip
Travel Method: Personal car
Resort: Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa (4nts), PO French Quarter (1nt), Old Key West (5nts)

INTRODUCTION:

The Wilmots are back in town, so that means the Burroughs clan and I will be making a trip to hot, crowded Walt Disney World to enjoy the company of our little group. This will likely be the last trip to WDW for the Wilmots until 2 years from now, so this will be our last hurrah for a while. The Burroughs will join them in Paris later this year and at Disneyland next year, but my vacation time is already booked up so I'll have to miss them. In any event, I can assure everyone there is NO way I'd ever want to be at WDW over the 4th of July if not for these friends being there. Larry has a knack for picking the worst possible times for his visits, thanks to his being a responsible parent who books vacations while the boys are out of school! <g>. These friends are also enough fun to be worth making the trip during these busy periods.


I needed to be responsible and limit my time away from work, so what was originally a Sunday - Wednesday night trip became a Friday to Monday night trip. It cost a lot more points, but it meant I missed 2 less days of work, and right now it's too difficult to be away - especially with what's going on the following week! A series of statewide meetings was planned for the next week, so I will definitely need to return to work for a few days between segments of this trip. However, Larry & family will still be here at the beginning of that segment, so I decided to come in for the weekend. My meetings are at the hotel inside the Florida Mall, which is a very nice hotel. However, I decided it was worth the personal expense of staying at OKW for the week, since I end my days at the Comedy Warehouse. Besides, OKW is "home", and I spend enough time in hotels as it is. I later added the Saturday night at Port Orleans French Quarter just because I loved my weekend there back in May. I was able to get a $94 rate including tax, so I was pretty happy with that. I do think my Pop Century & All Star days are in the past - life is too short to settle for those rooms anymore.


The business portion of the trip is shaping up to be a very full and productive 4.5 - 5 days. For various reasons we've not had these meetings for several years, so I'm looking forward to seeing some old familiar faces and meeting new people I've not yet met in person. Wednesday I'm leading a meeting of people from the institutions statewide, which is something I used to do back in the 1990's but got left by the wayside when these big meetings stopped happening. The Thursday/Friday agenda includes a number of topics that are important to my accounting dept head, and I figured rather than relay the information to her after the fact, she needed to come to Orlando for at least that portion. Her name isn't really Belle, but that's the nickname one of my other dept heads gave her, because she's a true southern belle (but with a great sense of humor and healthy dose of attitude). She contributed to the AIDS ride Mary at Comedy Warehouse did last summer, has read the articles on the ride, and had hoped to someday meet her. I decided to take Belle to Comedy Warehouse that Thursday night, but didn't want her driving alone late at night ½ hour each way to the meeting hotel so I told her I was booking her at Old Key West for that night as my treat. Her twin sister Rose will come up and join her that night, so it should be a lot of fun.


The Wilmot/Burroughs/Holland gang always starts the trip at LeCellier, and this trip we will continue that tradition. This time we'll be joined by my friend Shan & her son Cody, who have recently returned from a trip to Scotland and England, so we'll be a party of 11. The next day 9 of us will dine at 50's Prime Time Café at the Studios, another favorite spot. If the weather cooperates (no rain) I'll meet my good friend Kathy after she gets off work Saturday night. Beyond that we haven't made any specific plans. I hope to spend time relaxing at Saratoga Springs, and I know the Wilmots want to visit as well. I do plan to use the fitness center each morning, since I'm now training for the Disney half marathon and need to get the daily jogging done. With all the construction at the resort, it makes sense to me to use the treadmill in the air-conditioned fitness center! I'm not sure how I'll manage at OKW, as that fitness center is awful. I'll have to map out a running trail of the right distance, and jog outside before dawn so I've got time to get ready & commute to my meetings. I do need to get the flourless chocolate cake (mini portion - similar to Food & Wine Festival) from Starring Rolls at MGM at least once, since reliable friends have raved about it. The following weekend I've got lunch booked at Portobello Yacht Club in Downtown Disney with Larry & Jill on Saturday, then it's back to LeCellier with fortress friends on Sunday. I love that place enough to eat there every week!


Most nights will be full of Comedy Warehouse shows. I may skip the Friday & Saturday nights, but then again - once I'm up there it's probably not very likely I'll be able to stay away! Besides, the parks are going to be too crowded for my taste, and there's nothing there I have a need to see again on this trip.


The plans (subject to change) so far...

Fri 7/2: Work until 2, Drive to WDW, c/in Saratoga Springs
Sat 7/3: Epcot, LeCellier lunch, Meet Kathy, possible Comedy Warehouse
Sun 7/4: MGM, 50's Prime Time lunch, pool, Comedy Warehouse
Mon 7/5: Comedy Warehouse
Tue 7/6: MK or Earl of Sandwich, Drive to work for 3pm meeting
Wed 7/7 - Fri 7/9: Return to home/work - no report
Sat 7/10: Arrive PO FQ, Portobello Yacht Club lunch
Sun 7/11: c/in OKW, LeCellier lunch, Comedy Warehouse
Mon 7/12: Meeting, Comedy Warehouse
Tue 7/13: Meeting, Comedy Warehouse
Wed 7/14: Meeting, Comedy Warehouse
Thu 7/15: Meeting, Comedy Warehouse
Fri 7/16: Meeting, possible WDW stop, Drive home

DAY 1 FRIDAY JULY 2, 2004


Who: Sue (me - 45), DVC member
Others only participated via phone - Patron of the Arts Patty, Mike from Tallahassee
Plan: Work until 2, Drive to WDW, c/in Saratoga Springs


Actual: This trip was actually preceded by another business trip, and will likely be followed by another starting a night or 2 after I finally get home in mid-July. I spent Tuesday - Friday at my office in Miami, and headed to WDW from there rather than driving back to Ft Myers. I figured that saved me a few miles on the car, and got me on the road earlier than I would have started if I hadn't been away on business! It was actually 2:30 before I hit the road, and I chose to take the FL Turnpike despite the $20 in tolls rather than deal with the inevitable traffic delays on I-95. I caught up with my son Chris, checking in to see what he had planned for the weekend (sleeping & fireworks). My friend Mike from Tallahassee called to tease me - he knows far too many of my quirky little characteristics, so I'm easy material for his sense of humor. I don't mind though, as I give it right back! Unfortunately, he didn't want to stay on the phone for the remaining 180 miles of the trip, so most of my drive was pretty dull. I arrived at Saratoga Springs just before 6pm.


There were 2 cast members working the front desk, each with a guest, and one guy in line ahead of me. The wait wasn't bad at all, and soon I was checked in. They had pre-assigned my studio to meet my requests (non-smoking, upper floor, Downtown Disney view). I drove over to Congress Park, which is the only section open right now. There definitely IS a lot of construction, and you have to pass it all driving in, but once you get back to the rooms everything looks completed. I noticed this time that people's complaints about the hallways being crummy looking are absolutely right. From outside the units this resort resembles a value resort at best - it's just cheap concrete with some paint thrown on top - not nice at all. Thank goodness once you enter your unit and shut the door - then you're back in the posh dvc surroundings!


There are plenty of Saratoga Springs photos out there on the web, plus my photo tour of the resort will appear on MousePlanet.com on 7/9 & 7/23 (2-parts), so I won't be including any photos in the album for this trip. These studios are just like the ones at Boardwalk Villas, Villas at Wilderness Lodge, and Beach Club Villas - except for décor. I love them all except Boardwalk, and especially like the furnishings in Saratoga Springs. It's very tasteful and comfortable, and I'll be very happy staying here.


From my porch I look directly at Cirque du Soleil, and the water separating the resort from Downtown Disney. Unfortunately, the rest of the building probably blocks my view of the PI fireworks, but that's not the end of the world. I can simply go stand outside along the water and have a perfect view! Tonight, Saturday & Sunday they're doing a special extended fireworks at PI in honor of the 4th of July, so I'll make it a point tonight to go outside to see them. After unpacking I decided to walk over to Downtown Disney, which was a nice walk. It's a little long, but I didn't mind that. My training plan doesn't call for any jogging tomorrow, but I think I may get up early anyway and jog this path while wearing the pedometer to see how far it is to the edge of the resort.


At the Marketplace I got a sample at Ghiradelli, and then went into World of Disney. I had an idea to get a little gift for 2 of my department heads, and had no trouble finding exactly what I had in mind. For "Belle" I got a pin of Belle, with the name "Belle" on there so she's sure to know who it is. For "Princess" I got one of those princess antenna toppers. Princess is actually my food service director, and the one who came up with the nicknames. The name I was given is Big Chief, since I'm the boss <g>. I even programmed my cell phone with Big Chief - it's no fun being serious all the time! After I selected the gifts I stood line while the slowest cashier on the planet took care of the 2 parties ahead of me. I couldn't believe how slow she was - it was ridiculous. Yes, I'm impatient by nature but she would have driven even a really laid-back person crazy! Then, she checks my PAP and license so she can give me the 10% discount but forgets to enter the discount. Cripes….I noticed it on the receipt just before I walked away, and had her redo it. Belle and Princess damn well better appreciate their gifts, as they cost me a good deal of time & patience, lol!


I'd decided to bring dinner back to the studio, and checked out Earl of Sandwich. The line was beyond completely filled in, so forget about THAT idea! I wandered through Goofy's candy store next door and decided to wait until Tuesday to buy the mesh bags of foil-wrapped mint chocolate medallions for 4 of the other 5 people on our executive mgt team at work. The fifth person doesn't like chocolate or sweets at all, but I have other non-Disney plans for him. My next stop was Wolfgang Puck's Express, where there was just a very short wait. I ordered the tortilla soup and a chocolate chip cookie to go. I would have gotten some wine, but they only sold it by the glass and that wouldn't work for transporting it back to the studio (and I did not want a whole bottle).


I thought about just walking back to the studio but decided instead to take the bus so I could see where the bus stops are in the resort. That turned out to be another really stupid move on my part! I could have been home in a fraction of the time it took on the damn bus! First I had to wait for a bus to come - then it went to Pleasure Island, then to freakin' Typhoon Lagoon, and then all the way around past Old Key West and back to Saratoga Springs! It was like going from Tampa to Orlando by way of Miami, lol! Never again! To make matters worse, the driver must be related to the cm at World of Disney because he was the slowest thing on the road!


By the time I got back to the studio I wasn't concerned about my soup since it wasn't hot any longer <g>. It was barely warm, but still tasted good - I could have microwaved it but didn't bother. Patron of the Arts Patty called to see if I was really here and if I'd be at the 9:15 Comedy Warehouse show. As tempting as it was to go join her, I had stuff I needed to do here so I decided to skip CW tonight. I had taken some photos of the studio and imbedded them into emails to a couple of friends, then I got online and updated the report so far.


Around 10 I decided I'd stayed in long enough <g> so I grabbed the pedometer and went outside figuring I could walk the path to measure the distance in case I didn't get up early enough for jogging tomorrow. The path ended up being just about a mile round-trip from the end of my building to the bridge just a short ways down the main road outside of the resort. I wasn't ready to go in yet, so I wandered up to the main part of the resort, and passed 2 security guys on bikes who were saying that only 2 buildings are open here so far. It's really nice, because nothing is crowded - it's great feeling like I have the resort to myself!


There were people in both pools, and a few others wandering around but mostly it was just very beautiful & peaceful outside. I went into Artist's Palate and bought an individual-serving bottle of South African chardonnay. They plan to get some plastic wine glasses, but so far they're not in. I looked in the shop and may go back later to buy a little sleeveless t-shirt/tank another time. I don't need another shirt, so we'll see if I still think I want it later in the trip. I brought my wine back to the studio and poured some into a big ‘ole water glass <g> - how classy! The rest of the bottle went into the fridge to stay cold, since I didn't have any ice and I like my wine to stay cold. The wine wasn't bad, but not something I'd buy again if there was an alternative in the whites (there wasn't tonight).


At 11 I watched the local news (really - that's not a euphemism for anything else, gutter-minds <g>). I wasn't tired at all, and figured I might as well stay up to see the special fireworks. I also booked another trip to work in Miami, trying a different hotel for a change. The one I've been using is ok, and I like that the staff all know me by name and make me feel welcome, but I'll be in Miami often enough that I wanted to try someplace a little closer to the office. The hotel I found has a 24-hour fitness room, which was an important consideration with the early-morning treadmill routine. I figure I since I'll probably be making a trip every other week, I can always alternate between the 2 hotels unless I end up with a strong preference for one over the other.


Around 11:40 I went back outside with the rest of the wine, and wandered along the lake to wait for the fireworks. I forgot to mention - my studio is in a perfect location - right at the top of the stairs and 1 room away from the elevator. It's so convenient! Back to the fireworks - I wandered over to the seating area near the quiet pool, and was able to get one of the rocking chairs they have set up there. I imagine it won't be nearly as nice once all the buildings are open, but right now with only 2 buildings it was a nice small crowd that gathered. There was a full moon, and it was a beautiful night! The moon was surrounded by a haze, plus the lights were circling around from Pleasure Island, and it really set a nice atmosphere.


At midnight we could hear the countdown, and then a huge fireworks display started. I'm used to the little show they do each night at PI, but these were more like something you'd see in a park, with lots of big shells and it lasted a good 10 minutes. We were downwind though, and the smoke was hanging pretty intensely but up high where it didn't choke us. We were showered with bits of fireworks, which thankfully were cool by the time they hit us. The guy next to me asked me at one point - "are you getting hit with this stuff too?" LOL It was worth it, though - it was a real treat to be here at Saratoga Springs to see this. Stuff was still falling on me as I was walking back to the studio after the fireworks ended, lol.


Once back in the studio I finished up the report and got it posted, then went to bed after setting the alarm for an early morning jog. Today was a really nice day, and even though I didn't get here until 6pm it feels like I've been here a long while already. Guess I'm learning to relax quickly!

DAY 2 SATURDAY JULY 3, 2004


Who

Sue (me - 45), DVC member
The infamous Wilmots from Scotland - Larry, Jill, Greg & Ed
The famous romance novelist Leanne Burroughs
Golfer and good friend for many years - Tom Burroughs
Tom & Leanne's daughter & grandson - Kim & Chris
Alabama belle Shan & son Cody
Sheila - #1 cruise companion, fellow half-marathoner
Patron of the Arts - Patty
Splitting her time between Kissimmee and Comedy Warehouse - Leesa


Plan: Epcot, LeCellier lunch, Meet Kathy, possible Comedy Warehouse


Actual: I'd set the alarm for 5:30, realizing that was earlier than necessary but I also figured if I didn't feel like getting up I simply wouldn't! However, even though I do not enjoy jogging at all - doing it 6 days a week leaves me feeling like I should be doing it on the "off" day as well. It just doesn't feel right to not be out there being miserable <g>. I slept VERY well - it was absolutely silent here and the bed is so comfortable. I got up at 5:30, put on my running clothes, and headed out the door.


Except for the actual jogging part, it was a great run! The full moon, the lights from Downtown Disney reflecting on the lake, the music off in the distance - it was a gorgeous setting! I'd definitely recommend getting up early for a pre-dawn stroll when staying here. I ran exactly a mile, using the pedometer to know when to turn back. Once back in the studio I put my sweaty running clothes in the 2nd closet - which turned out to be a great thing because I could keep dirty & clean stuff completely separate.


I took a nice long shower, got dressed, caught up on email, then made some cappuccino to enjoy with some biscotti out on the porch (Darla-style). I even had the laptop out there, which was nice. Eventually it was time to come in and finish getting ready for the day. Sheila called - she was on her way up to spend the day (last weekend I'd told her she was welcome to spend whatever time she wanted up here this weekend) and would meet us at Epcot somewhere.


I knew I wanted the yogurt/granola parfait I'd seen last month and realized I'd be at the fitness center too early to buy it tomorrow, so I decided to walk over there now and get one to bring back for tomorrow. As I was on my way a golf cart passed, and the driver looked familiar - like one of the DVC guides Gib. I didn't give it another thought, since I was now a little pressed for time. At Artist's Palette I bought my parfait, and today remembered to use the Disney Dining Experience card to get 20% off. I forgot it last night when I bought the wine - oh well! I quickly walked back to the studio and ran into that golf cart again, only this time the driver called me by name - it turned out it WAS Gib, and he'd thought to himself "boy, that looks like Sue" as he whizzed by before <g>. I stopped and we had a nice chat. He's not my guide, but I'd met him on my first 7-day Disney cruise and he's remembered me ever since. Very nice guy!


Back in the studio I put the parfait in the fridge, gathered up my stuff, and drove over to Beach Club Villas since I was due to meet Larry's family at International Gateway at 9. As I was walking through BCV Leanne called to say they were already at the front entrance to Epcot. We agreed on a meeting place inside, and I continued on my way to meet Larry. He & his family arrived shortly after I did, and we were in the park just after 9. We headed over to MouseGears and met the others outside this store.


It was great seeing everyone again! They're just a really nice bunch of people and we all get along so well (including the teens). Tom & I used to be co-workers in different cities and know several of the same people as a result, so we talked shop for a while when the others were riding Mission Space. Tom, Leanne & I decided to sit this one out! We talked a lot about work, but I also learned that Larry's dark side has surfaced again and he is back in the business of scamming extra fastpasses. I won't give away his strategy, but it does involve using his impressionable young children as accomplices and works quite well, judging from the stack of fastpasses he had in his DVC lanyard (another scam to gain entry to dvc parking lots - the lanyard is supposed to make him look like he belongs there <g>). He's a scoundrel, that Larry! I have to tease him, after some of the comments he made about me today, lol!


Eventually the others returned from space and we went over to Test Track. We decided to get fastpasses, which had a return time of 10:40. On the way over, Larry told Leanne that he can't believe she shows her face in church - he read 4 pages of her novel and found it rather steamy! We asked which pages he read, and he replied "the dog-eared ones", lol. Leanne's book is excellent, but it is pretty lusty - Kim (her daughter) hasn't read it yet, and I was blushing at some parts because she's married to my friend Tom and going on & on in the book with some pretty amazing sex scenes - yikes! Anyway, her website is leanneburroughs.com and the book is called Highland Wishes. It's truly not trash - we just enjoy teasing her. However, it IS a romance novel and romance means sex <g>.


We decided to ride Spaceship Earth and on our way over there a bird crapped on Kim's shirt. She got cleaned up and we got in line. Patron of the Arts Patty called (I'm thinking she likes to see her name mentioned <g>) and she invited me out to a dinner show with her family & some friends tonight, but I'd already made plans to see Shan & Cody at Comedy Warehouse and didn't want to change them. It's feast or famine at times - too many invitations or none at all! Hopefully she'll make it out to a CW show while I'm still there tonight, but if not we'll see each other some night next week when I return.


We rode Spaceship Earth and as we were almost at the end Sheila called to say she was inside Epcot. We met her at the exit - she met Larry's family for the first time, but knew the others from previous trips. Ed & Chris decided to use some of the contraband fastpasses to ride Mission Space again, so we headed over there and the rest of us waited inside the exit or played the game there. As I was talking to Sheila, Tom & Larry - space Mickey & space Goofy walked by. Goofy patted me on my head and Larry yelled after him - "you'd better wash that hand now"! He's so mean to me - but he's never dull!


When the boys finished their mission to space we stopped at Test Track & got a fastpass for Sheila. We'd decided to just ride this after lunch, figuring Disney would honor the fastpasses after the stated time. Sheila's fastpass fell right into the hour we expected to be there, so it was perfect. She & I browsed through MouseGears and then met the others at LeCellier.


Shan & Cody were there already, and had met Larry & the others. Cody's getting so grown up these days - I first met him around 5 or so years ago and now he's a teenager. The lobby area was full of people, but it was mostly our group - and then I saw John from the DIS boards standing across the way! I had looked up and saw a man standing there smiling and I knew I knew him - luckily I remembered his name (& got it right) quick enough to not look like an idiot! I last saw him at MouseFest in December, and he knew I was going to be here at this time so he wasn't as surprised as I was. He had a fairly large party with him, so between us we filled in the entire area <g>. I chatted with him a bi - glad to have run into him. Eventually my party of 12 was taken to our tables along one wall.


Our server was terrific, and took very good care of us. We had 3 tables of 4, all next to each other but not pushed together to make one impossibly long table. I won't try to list what everyone ordered, but I had my usual Riesling and cheese soup. As always, it was heaven in a bowl & a wine glass <g>! I look forward to repeating this lunch next weekend with other friends. Lunch today though was very nice - everyone enjoyed chatting with each other, and conversation flowed freely. Larry sat across from me and castigated me for referring to him as "Pop Century Scum" in an earlier trip report. Sigh….he's got 42 nights in Pop Century so far and is quite proud of that <g>! Seriously, I liked my Pop Century stays - that resort is just no match for French Quarter or a DVC resort and it doesn't try to be. If I'm going to be here less often than I used to, I'm damn sure going to make the most of each stay by picking the best resorts I can. Quality vs quantity, I guess. Larry did ask how I happened to know everyone there, so I filled him in on how I'd met each of them. It's great how we can blend different groups of friends together and it just works so comfortably.


After lunch we did a group photo and found a very patient guy willing to take a couple of shots with a few of our cameras. Shan & Cody were off to do the American Adventure, and the other 10 of us went to ride Test Track. The cm didn't mind that our fastpasses had expired, so we had no trouble at all. I've NEVER ridden this using fastpass - I'm always single rider, so I saw parts of the queue I'd never seen before. What was really strange though, was realizing I'd be riding with people I know instead of 5 strangers, lol! It was a nice change of pace. Larry, me, Sheila, Tom, Chris & Kim rode in one car, with Jill, Ed & Greg in the next one (Leanne skipped it). Our car's video and audio were not working, but it was still a nice treat to be riding with friends instead of strangers!


Somebody wanted to ride Imagination, so we went there next and did that with no wait. Frankly, this ride isn't worthy of a wait - I like it less each time I do it, but I can't help comparing it to the original version. I liked that one! We all left Epcot after this, leaving through the International Gateway. We'd agreed tomorrow would be an MGM day, with the thrill riders meeting at 9 and the wimps meeting at the tip board at 10. I'll be there at 10 <g>. The others were going to MGM now too, but Sheila & I were headed to Saratoga Springs so she could see that resort.


We rode over in my car, and ran into Gib in the parking lot again. The DVC guides were busy shuttling golf carts full of prospective members to see the models. After a brief stop in the studio we went downstairs to the models and picked up our free pins. The grand villa really is pretty here, but I think the master bedroom looks small compared to what I remember at OKW and even Hilton Head. They've jacked up the # of points for a grand villa here so it's not likely I'll ever book one, especially when I like OKW so much. Sheila liked the models and thought they were very well done.


We walked over to the center of the resort so I could show her the other areas, and although she liked it she still says Hilton Head is her favorite. We hung out in the studio for a while, since it started to rain just as we got back. She left around 4:30 to spend the night at her parents' house, but it was great she was able to spend the day here today. I worked on the report and then left around 5:10 to meet Kathy outside her office.


Unfortunately, I hit one problem after another. I knew if it was raining we wouldn't be able to meet, and I was taking a chance that although it was raining at the resort it might not be at Celebration. In fact, I went through dry spells as well as rainy spells while driving. There was a big accident at the ramp where I needed to turn, creating a huge backup of traffic - but I was able to get through that. Then I needed to get off I-4 onto 192 and found that road completely backed up - at a standstill. I looked and saw idle cars for as far as the eye could see and realized then I was not going to make it in time. I decided to get out of the traffic mess and head up to the next exit, thinking I could back track into Celebration, but ran into more heavy rain in that direction - so I finally gave up. I looped back onto Disney property down by Animal Kingdom and returned to Saratoga Springs disappointed but hoping things will work out next time!


Leesa had IM'd just before I left, to see if I'd be at CW tonight. She & Rande, who started a yahoogroups on Comedy Warehouse that I joined were planning to be there. I haven't seen Rande in several months, so I was glad to hear she'd be there tonight. Sometime after 7 I headed to the bus stop, since it was still raining. I really wanted to walk to PI but the rain was just a little too heavy, and I figured there would be puddles of water all over the place. The bus came after a fairly short wait, and I got off at the Marketplace stop. I decided to buy the chocolate I wanted for co-workers tonight, but they didn't have any at the candy store! I'll have to check Candy Cauldron on the West Side some other time, and perhaps the candy store by the villains shop at MGM tomorrow.


The Marketplace was pretty busy despite the rain, so I didn't linger there too long. I went to PI and went into the Adventurer's Club to get my wristband. Once inside I looked for Leesa and found her and Rande sitting upstairs so I went over and joined them. Soon I saw Shan & Cody come in, then Larry's family came over as well. We hung around talking, and I told Larry I'd included most of the awful things he'd said to me or about me today in my trip report <g>. I'd forgotten the crack he made at lunch about how I cannot compete with Dolly Parton, and he tried to convince us he was talking about her singing (yeah, right)!


Soon it was time to head over to Comedy Warehouse, where Jim Roberts was on the keys tonight. The 8:15 cast was Matt, John, Robby, Christine & Lisa. They opened with a poem called "I smell like jello." John rang the bell in Should Have Said, which was probably the funniest scene in this show. Matt was a rat and Robby was a mouse (Mickey, fallen on hard times) who were in a gutter. Matt had the plague and Robby licked the bubonic germs off of him. It was strange, but pretty funny.


John & Matt then sang a patriotic American song about pizza. They did This is Your Life next, about a lady from Ohio. They acted out her first kiss - at age 21 to some guy whose name she didn't even know, then acted out her first time meeting her boyfriend. They were about to act out her future wedding day, but called the boyfriend up on stage - it was set up in advance - and he proposed to her. It was sweet, and the cast did a really good job of keeping it entertaining up until that part so the audience wasn't cheated in any way. The girlfriend said yes, and everyone was happy <g>.


Overall this show was just ok - but the shows got progressively better as the night went on. Larry & family left after this show, but I'm looking forward to seeing them tomorrow. The 9:15 cast was Matt, Brian, Lisa, Robby & Christine. They did the opening song following a telephone interview with a pretty girl from Toronto who has 2 boyfriends - one of whom is a player on the Blue Jays baseball team <g>. She was here with 2 girlfriends. The song was excellent, and really poked fun at the girls as well as being pretty dirty in a Disney-acceptable way! Robby was Noah and Lisa was his wife in a scene where they were building an ark. They did it in the style of Fill in the Blank, using the entire audience - who usually were too involved watching the scene to realize they needed to give a suggestion <g>. It was a pretty good scene, though.


Next was Up Your Alley about elevators, hosted by Robby as a British guy named Sloan Standing. He reminded the audience to say "Up yours, Sloan Standing", which of course sounds like "Up yours, slow and standing" - cute name! Brian was Skippy, the world's last elevator operator, working in Kansas. Christine was Mary Ellen Moony, a lady who's given birth to all 16 of her kids in an elevator and conceived some of them in there as well. Matt was Seaman 1st Class Walter Johnson, serving on the aircraft carrier the USS Roseanne Barr. Both the questions and answers frequently contained sexual innuendo, and it was an entertaining & fast-moving structure. Overall this show was much better than the first one in my opinion. After the show I talked to Brian for a while, then joined Leesa & Rande to see if Philip was still working as Bob the artist out on the street (nope - missed him).


The 10:30 cast was Robby, Brian, Matt, John & Joy. The opening phone interview was a guy who met his fiancé when he was her boss - I think it was either John or Brian who used the verse that he was "dipping his ladle in the company soup", which cracked me up! They all did a great job on the opening number. Most of the rest of the show was Conducted Story, and tonight not only did each actor do a superb job, the story itself was hilarious! It was conducted by Joy and was called "I get gifts for Christmas."


To summarize the story, Randy was a 6th grader held back 14 times so he was 23 years old and 2 years older than his teacher Mrs. Bobble. He asked her out, but she was married to Mr. Bobble the optometrist. Somehow she ended up drunk, and Mr. Bobble took out Randy's eyes and replaced them with olives that had pimentos in there. For whatever reason, Randy could still see with his olive eyes, though! An 11 year old in the audience suggested the plot twist of Monica Lewinsky making out with President Bush, so they had Randy make a trip to Washington DC and discover this makeout session. Bush challenged Randy to a duel, and pulled out his sword. Randy didn't have a sword, so he pulled out his olive eyes since each olive had a toothpick. The 2 men dueled, but Bush won by slicing off both of Randy's arms - leaving him a bleeding armless blind man who I think was also a senator from California - he finally finished 6th grade & graduated in there somewhere. Anyway, the story was nuts and I loved it!


John was the first to die, and he died by a cactus played by Matt. Brian brought a kid up from the audience and died acting out the argument the kid had with his mother earlier about where to have dinner. Brian was fabulous & over the top as the angry mother, doing all the stereotypical bad mother stuff, and was eventually killed by a bouncy ball shoved down his throat. It was a hysterical scene! I almost hurt from laughing so hard! Matt & Robby were left, and neither showed signs of making a mistake so Joy had them wrap up the story together in a musical. Matt played Randy and Robby had to play everyone else - and both were very good.


The closing song was a western ballad about a lady who'd eaten 21 inches of cellophane thinking it was homemade fruit roll-ups. Once again, the cast had a field day with this stupid story and made it very entertaining! Overall this show was excellent, and I was satisfied ending my CW evening on such a strong note.


We headed out - I stopped briefly to say goodnight to the cast at the door, and exchange a hello hug/kiss with John. It's nice to be welcomed back - I wish it wasn't so hard to get time to be here these days, though. I chatted with Rande & Leesa for a few minutes, then left them in PI. I walked through the Marketplace and back over to Saratoga Springs, arriving with about 10 minutes to spare before the midnight fireworks. I think I'll walk home from Comedy Warehouse all the time when I stay here - it just seems like a nicer option than driving.


Once again the fireworks were very nice, and once again they seemed to blow in our direction. At some points it was almost scary - as they'd explode they'd seem too close, but everything ended up being ok. When the finished I went up to the studio and finished up the report for the day.


Except for missing Kathy today, this was a wonderful day! I thoroughly enjoyed the time spent with all of these friends, as well as my LeCellier lunch and Comedy Warehouse shows. I was quite impressed with Cody - he's a charming, funny young man, and Shan's done a great job raising him. All of the teens in the group are great - I find it hard to be a kid-hater around them, and I hate blowing my image <g>.


Tomorrow I'll get up at 6 and do my jogging on a treadmill at the Fitness Center. This will be my first 2-mile run, and I'm not exactly looking forward to it. However, I'm sure I'll be very glad to have it behind me once I finish!

DAY 3 SUNDAY JULY 4, 2004


Who

Sue (me - 45), DVC member
The infamous Wilmots from Scotland - Larry, Jill, Greg & Ed
The famous romance novelist Leanne Burroughs
Golfer and good friend for many years - Tom Burroughs
Tom & Leanne's daughter & grandson - Kim & Chris
Splitting her time between Kissimmee and Comedy Warehouse - Leesa
The ruggedly handsome Connon (7/4)

Plan: MGM, 50's Prime Time lunch, pool, Comedy Warehouse


Actual: I slept well again, even though I only had less than 5 hours before the alarm. It's tough when I've got stuff to do that ends late at night and then more that begins pre-dawn! My down time is in the middle of the day, which does me no good in terms of getting enough sleep. Anyway, I got up and put on my running clothes, then walked over to the Fitness Center. I was the only one there until the last couple of minutes, which was nice. They have some television sets mounted up on the wall, but they're all on different channels and you can't hear any of them because they've got loud music playing. The treadmills didn't have any earphone jacks, and I didn't see any sign of being able to listen to the tv sets from any piece of equipment. Since I hadn't bothered with my contact lens, I couldn't even read the closed captioning - although not all of the channels were showing that anyway.


I did my 2 miles - glad that I finished it, but hating every miserable second. I had my doubts whether I'd even finish, knowing I COULD but not sure I had the discipline to make myself continue. This concluded week 3 of training, which was 8.5 miles. It should be interesting to see how I manage 2.5 miles next Sunday! Once I finished I grabbed a cup of cold water and walked back to the studio. I got the trip report posted to the message boards, then took my shower and got dressed for the day.


For breakfast I brought the laptop out onto the porch and had some hot chocolate and the yogurt parfait I'd bought yesterday. The yogurt was delicious!! It had lots of strawberries and banana slices in it, and just a sprinkling of granola on top. I like it better than the version at Animal Kingdom Lodge, and it's smaller so it's easier to manage. It was so good I walked back over to the Artist's Palette and bought another one for tomorrow - the biscotti can go back home with me <g>. Around 9:15 I decided I'd better get out to the bus stop so I'm not late meeting the others!


The bus arrived fairly soon, and once again I was the only passenger. I kept dozing off on the bus, but luckily I didn't fall deeply enough asleep to miss my stop! The driver told me the Saratoga Springs bus stop is actually #13 when I want to return, but for now he was dropping me right at the entrance. Getting into the park was easy - a big line of people was backed up at one turnstile, and there were several on either side that were completely empty. I of course chose to use an empty turnstile rather than stand in line for no reason - I just don't understand how people can be so clueless about their surroundings! Our meeting spot was the tip board, and I asked the people at guest services there if they had any earlier lunch times at 50's Prime Time Café for a party of 9. We had 2:15, but the only thing earlier was 11:30. I was afraid that might be too early, so I left it alone.


I also looked for the chocolate for my co-workers, and did not find it, so I'm thinking it's been discontinued. As I was browsing in an air-conditioned shop I ran into Leanne, who told me Tom was outside on a shady bench. I went out and joined him to hear about his day after we'd parted company yesterday. Eventually everyone arrived and we decided to do the Great Movie Ride. One nice thing about this group is everyone mixes up really well, meaning you never know who you'll end up sitting with but it doesn't matter because everyone gets along well with everyone else. During the course of a day or 2 I'm able to spend time with each person, which is nice. The Great Movie Ride was ok - they tried to have the 4 of us scoot over to put more people in our row, but there was no line of people waiting so Leanne refused to move. Why on earth do they want us sitting on top of each other when there's an empty set of cars coming in 1 minute and not even a dozen people in line yet??? They were sending the 1st 2 cars through empty, so we were stuck with the gangster scene - which is my least favorite.


After the ride we decided to see if the 11:30 lunch slot was still available, and it was - so we changed our lunch time. That left us enough time to see MuppetVision 3D so we went there next. The pre-show seems to have changed slightly, but nothing major. Larry asked me to nudge him if he started snoring, and I had to laugh because he was assuming I'd be awake to hear him, lol! As it turns out, I did experience most of this show while looking at the backside of my eyelids <g>. Since I've seen it several times before though, it wasn't any big deal to miss some of it this time.


By now it was 11:30 so we walked over to 50's Prime Time Café to check in. After a brief wait they called for the Holland kids and we were taken to the same table we had last time. This time our server was just ok in terms of playing around with us. Larry made Tom a bib that said Spanky and Tom wore it for the rest of the meal. One time we had a really great server who gave us all nicknames, and Tom was Spanky. We still tease Tom for pointing out to the server that he cleaned his plate or something because Spanky is a good boy, lol!


The people in the next room were having a ball - it was nonstop laughter and lots of interaction in there. Our room was pretty calm by comparison. The food was good - I ordered the lightly fried boursin cheese appetizer for my meal, and since I was so tired decided to skip any wine. Several of the others got the pot roast meal, Tom & Leanne shared the fried chicken, and Chris got a very large chicken sandwich. The only person hungry for dessert was skinny Greg, who ate a banana split! I don't know where he puts it, but I've been thru periods like this with my own son so it wasn't a total shock.


We went outside to discuss what to do next - by now it was approaching 12:45. I think they ended up going to do Millionaire together before splitting up for the rest of the day. Larry's family was planning to be in MGM for the evening fireworks, and Tom's family was headed for the Magic Kingdom. I had laundry to do and would be at Comedy Warehouse tonight! We agreed to meet at MK tomorrow morning at 9 to do some attractions before it got too crowded.


My relatively new boss (Michael) happens to be an old work friend (in another city), who Tom has known for years also. Before we separated I gave him a call and then gave Tom the phone so they could chat with each other - I don't think they've had any contact for a few years. When they finished I said goodbye to the others and then spent the next half-hour talking to Michael from a shady bench outside Starring Rolls. I was surprised it wasn't very busy over there, but I was glad - it meant I had no line when I finished my phone call and went inside to buy the flourless chocolate cake!


I bought 2 of the cakes, since I did not want to have to return to MGM and I knew I was going to love it! Actually I think I like the Food & Wine version better, but this is still DAMN good <g>. It's small, but filling, and at $1.79 each you can't beat it! I had them packaged to go, then left the park and went to the bus stop. When the bus came I was shocked to see a dozen or so people get off! The driver asked me if I was going to Saratoga Springs, and when I said yes he said he couldn't believe he finally had someone going there - he asked if anyone was staying there! I commented that he must not have come from there just now, and he confirmed he'd come from Pop Century - that's why there were people on the bus, lol!


I got off at the first stop so I could pick up a fork at Artist's Palette, then returned to the studio to put the cake in the fridge. I changed into my swimsuit and grabbed my dirty laundry, then walked over to the leisure pool on the other side of the next building (across from Pleasure Island). There were several people there, but it wasn't crowded at all. The laundry room is nice, and once I put the clothes in the washer I went out to a lounge chair and relaxed. I didn't bother with the pool, but did go soak myself under the shower several times to cool off. I spent about an hour there, then collected the clothes from the dryer and walked back to the studio.


I decided to try the chocolate cake, and ate almost all of one of them - it was delicious! I didn't care for the big hairy raspberry sitting on top, but it does make it look nice. I got last night's photos off the camera and uploaded the decent ones to the July album while sitting on the porch updating the trip report. It's so peaceful here, with the only noise being the birds and the passing boats - very nice!


Around 7 I decided to walk over to Downtown Disney. It had been cloudy with thunder and lightning for a while, but so far no rain. I really like the walk from Saratoga Springs to Downtown Disney - or perhaps I just like the novelty of not having to drive or use Disney transportation! Once at Downtown Disney I went searching for that mint chocolate again, and a cm at the Marketplace store said they were just out of stock. I did check Candy Cauldron on the West Side but they didn't have any either - so I'm done looking for it this trip! I wandered around a while, chatted with Susan outside Comedy Warehouse and then went to the Adventurer's Club to get my wristband. It was fairly busy, but I didn't feel like sitting around in there so instead I wandered around Pleasure Island and checked out the shops. They've all changed since the last time I went into any of them - and not for the better.


I met up with Bob & Virginia at the back door, and chatted with Virginia until showtime. John DeHaas was on the keys tonight, and the 8:20 cast was Joy, John, Brian, Robby & Jake. It's too bad Shan couldn't have been here tonight instead of last night, since Jake's her favorite & as usual he was great. They did a really good opening song, but I don't recall the specifics. Next was Story Telling, with John & Robby as twins telling "Bodacious Tire." It was strange, but entertaining. John was physically skinny but mentally fat, while Robby was physically fat but mentally skinny. Eventually they went on a diet and Robby lost all his extra weight except for a spare tire around his middle, then met a HOT short woman who would sit on his "shelf" of spare tire. Even though Story Telling is not one of my favorite structures, I've noticed John & Robby do this well together and I enjoy their silly comments.


They did Actor's Nightmare next, with it being Brian's nightmare. He was working at the Marek County Sheriff's department, and had to improvise his own lines and make sense of the lines the others read from 3 different scripts. Jake's script was actually the prop list for the play he was given, which was an added twist. The scene was pretty funny, and they all did a good job playing off each other.


The 9:15 cast was Jake, Joy, John, Robby & Chris. Christine led the others in creating a musical about a safety pin. It took place in small town Whippany, NJ in a JC Penney store. Joy & Jake were shoppers, Robby was the sales clerk, and John kept leaping across the stage behind them. John was voted the lead character by the audience, and was named Cheddar. He had no friends due to his broken glasses, until Jake came back in as a guy working on the roof who came in the window to use John's bathroom and was there when John came home. Jake fixed John's glasses with a safety pin and then John fell in love with Joy, who was the niece of his landlord Mrs. Bigbosoms (Robby). Robby had the fake droopy boobs under his sweater, and when he danced the final song they were flopping all over the place until they were exposed somewhat from the bottom of the sweater! It was a sight! They also did Should Have Said for a very short scene with Joy ringing the bell. Chris was using a blowdryer she'd received from her husband Jake, but the scene was over almost before it started.


During the break between shows I went down to Dzerts and bought a cookie. The cm went and warmed it up in the microwave, but since I was buying it to eat later/tomorrow, I asked if I could please have one that hasn't been microwaved. He gave me another one, and told me to take the heated one, too. I ate a little bit of it, and then met up with Leesa and the ruggedly handsome Connon so I gave the rest of the cookie to him.


The 10:30 cast was Brian, Christine, Mary, Joy & Jake. They opened with a poem called "I love milkshakes." Song Cue was next, but instead of asking for 3 song styles Brian asked for 3 descriptive words and then paused the scene to have them turn the last line of dialogue into a song in that style. Joy & Jake were astronauts preparing for a mission. They sang "I know I'm going to have those cravings" as a sexy song, "He's scared to death" as a moody song, and "Partners" as an aggressive song. I had a hard time following the types of songs, and prefer traditional style suggestions over what they tried tonight.


They did Up Your Alley about beer, hosted by Jake as Ernie the Engineer. Brian was Daryl Johnson, who lost 360 pounds on the beer diet. Chris was Bessie Ross, who did a psych study on the history of beer. Mary was the St Pauli girl. It was a fun scene, especially with Brian's ugly girl jokes and talk of exercising & being on the Johnson. Favorite exercises were rolling down a grassy hill naked, climbing a telephone pole and calling an ex-girlfriend's name, and then Mary got a guy from the audience to come up to do the St Pauli girl dance with her.


After the show I visited with Mary for a while, but wasn't sticking around for the next show since it's so late and I agreed to meet the others at 9am tomorrow. If I wasn't going to be here another night, I'm sure I would have stayed, in order to see another of her shows. Rande had arrived at this point, so I joined her, Leesa & Connon to walk down to the Jazz Club. We stood outside talking and then I left to walk back to Saratoga Springs. The Marketplace was mobbed, with people sitting along the edge of the lake waiting for the fireworks. I think the time to see them was one of the past 2 nights when it wasn't crowded. I don't consider them worth the wait in this type of crowd, but I'll admit fireworks are no big deal to me anyway.


The walk back to Saratoga Springs went quickly once I got through the crowds, and I noticed more people out at the resort tonight than the previous 2 nights. I had 10 minutes before the fireworks again and decided not to bother hanging around to see them again. I went up to the studio and got the photos off the camera and uploading to Ofoto. I heard the fireworks, and to my surprise I found that the rest of the building did not block my view of them at all! I had a perfect view from my porch, so I stood there to watch them one more time just because it was pretty cool to be able to! I'm not sure I'll book Saratoga Springs much once more buildings open, because for my style of trips these first 4 buildings are really the only ones I'd want. I want the water view to Downtown Disney, and I want to be right on the path over there.


After the fireworks I finished up the trip report and got it posted around 1-1:30. I pushed the alarm back another hour, to 7am. So far this trip I've gone from 5 to 6 to 7 - but Tuesday I'll be back to an earlier start time most likely since I have to jog 1.5 miles and want to do it outside this time (before the sun comes out & heats things up). Today was a nice relaxing day, with lots of time just taking it easy. I was thrilled I actually did the whole 2 miles on the treadmill this morning, even though it wasn't enjoyable at all. Hanging out with Larry, Tom & the rest of our group was fun and lunch was delicious. That flourless chocolate cake is sure to be a new favorite/regular item for me - I just wish I didn't have to go into a park to get it!

DAY 4 MONDAY JULY 5, 2004


Who

Sue (me - 45), DVC member
The infamous Wilmots from Scotland - Larry, Jill, Greg & Ed
The famous romance novelist Leanne Burroughs
Golfer and good friend for many years - Tom Burroughs
Tom & Leanne's daughter & grandson - Kim & Chris


Plan: MK, Pool, Comedy Warehouse


Actual: I forgot to mention - at night I've been sleeping with the heavy drapes open, which allows some lighting & a beautiful view of the lights from across the lake at Downtown Disney. It's really pretty, and would be quite romantic if I was here as part of a couple!


This morning woke up just before 7, but waited for the alarm to come on before actually getting up. It felt great to sleep in so late, and was just what I needed. I showered & got dressed, then took some cappuccino and biscotti out to the porch. The yogurt parfait I can have for lunch when I get back from MK later. It was extremely humid outside already, which is typical for this time of year but it's still gross!


I left for the bus stop just before 8:30 and must have just missed the MK bus because one didn't arrive until 8:45. I still got there just after 9 and ran into the others just after passing under the train station. Where they were standing was the pick-up spot for one of those old-fashioned cars so we rode it to the other end of Main Street. We filled it up perfectly, with no room for anyone else - and we waved to people on the street as if we were riding in a parade <g>! It's always easier to act like an idiot in the company of 8 friends rather instead of when I'm solo.


We went to Tomorrowland first and picked up fastpasses at Buzz and Space Mountain. Buzz had a very short standby wait posted, so we decided to do that and basically walked right on. I rode with Tom, who claimed he wasn't going to shoot - but he still had more than double my score! Larry beat us all though, with over 700,000 points. He was 2-3 cars behind me but I could hear him cheering when he got the results, lol! He was so excited, but also said he needed to find a life and quit coming to WDW all the time to ride Buzz Lightyear <g>.


We went to Frontierland next, and found Splash Mountain wasn't operating yet - so Larry proclaimed it was now Arid Mountain. We did Big Thunder Mountain with a short (but HOT) wait, and I got a great picture of Leanne looking absolutely terrified and clutching the railing of the car for dear life! I rode with Larry, which gave me extra room under the lap bar to get a little "air". It never comes all the way down on me, since I'm pretty small - but when I ride with a man-sized person I have a lot of extra room. The ride was fun - I love this one! I think Leanne was praying for a swift and painless death, though. Next we went to Pirates of the Caribbean, primarily because it would be uncrowded and give us 15-20 minutes of sitting in air conditioning!


We were given the first 3 rows of a boat, but Leanne commandeered herself & Tom into the very last row so she could "research" more sex scenes for her next novel. We warned them of the infrared cameras in here, so they wouldn't end up on ebay without their knowledge <g>. I don't know what they were doing back there because I truly did NOT want to watch, but the boat sure was rocking an awful lot!


By now it was time (or beyond time) for our Space Mountain fastpasses, so we walked back to Tomorrowland and while Tom & Leanne went on that famous lesbian makeout ride the Tomorrowland Transit Authority (more research, maybe??) the rest of us rode Space Mountain. This is always a fun ride, and I could ride it several times a day! Afterwards we made a stop at the "loo" since Larry says that ride always does something to him "down there". We decided to take another ride to space, except for Kim who opted for a frozen coke instead. So, the 6 of us left had our own rocket and since Chris declined the front seat it was given to me. I could hear Larry a few seats back screaming, but I can assure the readers on radp that it was a manly scream <g>.


After the 2nd ride we went looking for the others, and ended up circling around looking for them as they were walking around looking for us! We eventually ended up in the same spot and sat around chatting for a little while in the shade. A few people had frozen drinks, and once those were almost gone everyone but Larry & I used the Buzz fastpasses. I decided to ride TTA and Larry joined me. We figured we'd be back before the others, but they beat us and sternly admonished us for not staying where we were supposed to be <g>. Oh well, I can't leave the MK without riding that ride - it's a tradition!


We walked back to Frontierland and Splash Mountain was operating but the fastpass return times were too late for Tom & Leanne's family since they were going home today. We got a bunch of fastpasses for Larry's family to use later, then went & used the fastpasses we'd picked up after the first Big Thunder ride to do that one again. It was very crowded, and very hot - without fastpass I definitely wouldn't have bothered! Tom & Leanne sat this one out, but the rest of us had a great ride. Once again I ended up with Larry, which made for a fun ride.


At this point we all decided it was time to leave the MK (around noon), as it was hot & crowded beyond what we're willing to put up with. Someone suggested taking the train back to Main Street, so we fought our way through the crowds to get over there. The train was in the station, but Larry & I were the only ones who made it - the others had to catch the next train. We waited for them in the air conditioned part of the station at Main Street, and found some of the old games from the arcade that used to be on Main Street. Once everyone was together we left the park to catch buses to our respective resorts. Tom's group was having lunch at PO Riverside and then going home. Larry said they'd eat where the poor people eat - Pop Century, and I was heading back to Saratoga Springs and the DVC elite. <g>


Back in the studio I changed into my swimsuit and headed to the leisure pool. I brought the yogurt parfait and had that for lunch - it was delicious, and I can see myself staying here partly to be able to get that each day! The pool was pretty crowded, and unfortunately there was 1 young child who felt the need to SCREECH repeatedly for no reason and without either parent telling her to shut the hell up! There were lots of kids in the pool, and they were all having fun, splashing around, etc - but the needless screeching was the only thing that bothered me. With only 2 buildings in use I wonder if the pool will be overcrowded when all 4 are open - it seems like a really good possibility.


I stayed at the pool for about 1.5 hours, and then went back to the studio when it started to sprinkle. I took another shower and packed up some of my stuff, then decided to walk over to the Carriage House area before the serious rain started. It was thundering pretty steadily, and lightning was visible. At the On The Rocks pool bar the menu said they sold wine by the glass but when I asked the cm what they had she said just Beringer's white zinfandel. Hmm, not exactly what I was looking for <g>. She suggested I go to the Turf Club indoors, which supposedly has 20 different wines by the glass. The lifeguards were clearing everyone out of the pool area at that point, due to the lightning. I went upstairs & into the Turf Club, found out which white wines they had, and selected a pinot grigio I know I like. The cm put it in a plastic cup for me since I was taking it back to the studio. I stored it in the fridge while I updated the trip report.


Around 5:30 it was still thundering but not raining - I was wishing it would start already and get it over with before I wanted to walk to Comedy Warehouse tonight! I poured some of the wine into the smaller cup (I'd dumped it into a big cup for the walk back to the studio so I wouldn't be sloshing it over the edge while walking) and sat out on the porch for a while. It never did rain, and it was so pleasant and relaxing out there with a nice glass of wine & a magazine!


Around 7-7:30 I walked over to Downtown Disney and browsed in Basin for a little while before continuing to Pleasure Island. Joe was outside CW so I chatted with him until Larry & his family arrived. We got our wristbands in Adventurer's Club then returned to CW for the first show. Jamie was on the keys tonight. The 8:20 cast was Mary, Philip, Brian, Christine & Jake. They created a play, with Brian pausing to get suggestions from the audience. Jake & Philip were dog groomers working on strange new breeds such as the Poo Poo (poodle to the 2nd power). Jake was having a hissy fit from being constipated so Philip gave him a bran girl scout cookie that turned him into a monkey. Somehow Philip died but then came back to life and did a very cute poem about a clock.


Up Your Alley was next, with the subject of swimming. Chris was host Lois Common Denominator and they had an 11-year old girl from the audience as one of the contestants. Brian & Mary were the other 2, a pair of synchronized swimmers named Greg & Trebella. They spoke by alternating one word each, which is difficult but led to some pretty funny moments. I thought the kid was rather obnoxious - or perhaps "precocious" would be a more polite way to describe her <g>. Chris kept calling Mary by the wrong name (on purpose), and overall it was a pretty good show.


We stopped to see Mary after the show. Ed's still got a crush on her, and she's always very nice to him. They only came out for the one show, and only because I'd mentioned Mary would be working tonight. We went outside and ran into Larry's best friend's mother (from England) - talk about a small world! We confirmed our plans to meet on Saturday, and said our goodnights. Jason arrived so I hung out with him before the next show.


The 9:15 cast was Philip, Christine, Jake, Brian & Joy. They opened with a poem called "You're a loser." Joy & Brian did a Fill in the Blank scene using the whole audience. They were dog trainers in a cute scene where they were training their dog to go into space so they could get rich off him later. Forgotten Songs was next. Jake came out to sing "Michael Moore spontaneously combusts" but died/exploded before he could do the song. Philip & Joy were Bubba & Jonelle (farmers) singing "Green cows & purple chickens". The best song was Brian's version of "Premarital sex in Saudi Arabia", which was full of politically incorrect jokes about ugly women over there.


They also did Actor's Nightmare, with Philip having to make sense of the dialogue. He was working in a Starbucks developing a new froth, and did a really good job with his nightmare. The closing number was about a woman who allegedly decided she wanted to run naked through Pleasure Island and supposedly did exactly that last year. I doubt it was true, but they were so far into the story it made sense to take it.


The 10:30 show was full of college program kids and other cast members - very loud, borderline obnoxious at times, and a good reminder why I don't care for cast night. The actors working were Mary, Joy, Robby, Jake & Christine. Joy asked for a variety of styles of movies, tv, songs & entertainment then called the Styles for Mary & Christine's scene. They were flight attendants - the scene was very good. They did Cliché next, torturing Robby until he guessed he was in a strip bar and the phrase "If you're gonna be a turd, lay in the yard." I love Cliché, and this was a great way to end this portion of my trip. Robby did well figuring out the clues, although they left a few key pieces until the very end to keep it interesting.


After the show I talked to Dee for a while, said goodnight to Mary, then walked back (LOVE this walking to & from the resort stuff <g>) to Saratoga Springs. At midnight I watched the little PI fireworks from my porch, and then went inside to finish up the report. Today was a nice day - lots of fun with friends in the morning, relaxing by the pool in the afternoon, and then some good comedy shows in the evening. I wish that was my life every day <g>!

DAY 5 TUESDAY JULY 6, 2004


Who: Sue (me - 45), DVC member
Plan: MK or Earl of Sandwich, Drive to work for 3pm meeting


Actual: I woke up when the alarm went off at 5:15, and quickly dressed for jogging. I needed to do 1.5 miles today and planned for the half-mile portion to be running inside Downtown Disney. However, once I got there I found people pressure-cleaning the ground, unloading stock into the stores, and several other work-type vehicles being driven around between the stores. So, I was able to jog around part of the Marketplace and then just looped around the bus stop area a few times until the pedometer registered I'd gone a full mile and then headed back to Saratoga Springs. It was a good run, and after doing the 2 miles Sunday this run definitely felt easier than when I did 1.5 miles for the first time last week!


Back in the studio I realized I never unloaded the photos from camera last night, so I took care of that and started uploading them to Ofoto before getting in the shower. The url to the album is http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=34p4jkm.2xflxct3&x=1&y=-us7ljk. I'll do a separate album for the Comedy Warehouse photos from the 2nd part of the trip, to keep the albums from being too big. I had some cappuccino and sat out on the porch for a while. The one thing I don't like about this resort is the balconies are all visible to each other. When I'm out on my porch I don't want to be looking at anyone else and don't want to be seen either! I also called the front desk at 8:30 to see where my damn express check out was - they had no idea why I didn't get it on my door like I was supposed to. I had her read the charges to me and since I recognized them all there was no need to have a copy delivered.


Around 9:00 I walked over to the Marketplace to get what would serve as brunch - a caprese sandwich from Earl of Sandwich. This time of day there are no lines, and since I can walk over it's very convenient. I ended up being customer #1 today! The sandwich was very good, and when I finished eating I walked back to Saratoga Springs, changed into work clothes, and hit the road. I'd hoped to get to work around 2 and leave around 4, but ended up being there almost 5 hours due to my meeting running late - the vacation glow sure didn't last very long <g>!


The rest of the trip resumes Saturday morning, so there won't be any reports until that evening. Thank goodness it's only 3 more days at this point - I'm ready to head back there right now!

DAY 6 SATURDAY JULY 10, 2004


Who

Sue (me - 45), DVC member
The infamous Wilmots from Scotland - Larry & Jill
Dear friend, the one & only Silverback Slut - Kathy
Splitting her time between Kissimmee and Comedy Warehouse - Leesa


Plan: Arrive PO FQ, Portobello Yacht Club lunch, meet Kathy


Actual: At last it's time to continue the trip! I'd recently adjusted my running training plan by a day (to put the "off" day on Friday and the longest runs on Saturday) and this morning needed to run 2 miles. I was up at 4:00 and out jogging by 4:20. This was the 2nd time doing 2 miles, but the last time was on a treadmill so this was my first real 2-mile run. Afterwards I showered, dressed, had some hot chocolate & cereal for breakfast, then packed up my stuff and began the drive to WDW by 6:30.


It was an easy drive in terms of weather & traffic but difficult in the sense that I was exhausted and had to fight to stay awake the last 1.5 hours. I lifted weights, slapped my face, shook my head, drank water, and did whatever I could think of to stay alert. I'd noticed last weekend when I jogged in the morning about 3 hours later I was dozing on the buses and in the attractions so there must be a connection there. Luckily at work I'm too busy to doze off, as it's never happened there.


I was able to check in with no wait, and they had a non-smoking room ready for me. I didn't make any other requests and ended up on the ground floor in building 3, which seems to be an excellent location. I'm just a very short walk to the pool & main building, and I'm near one end of the jogging path. I should be able to do the 1.5 mile run from here without any problem (and then be a zombie 3 hours later for a while <g>). There was no point in unpacking since I'm moving to OKW in the morning, so I just set my stuff down and laid on the bed for a few minutes. I decided to make another cup of cappuccino (it's decaf, but I was hungry) and ate a small piece of biscotti - feeling a bit more energetic afterwards. I went for a short walk and browsed in the store and the very busy food court. You'd think at 10 a.m. people would be in the parks, but the food court was mobbed. I may have to try the beignets everyone raves about while I'm here, since I've never tried them.


I went back to the room and considered my options on what to do until it was time to meet the Wilmots for lunch. I'd thought about touring the deluxe resorts for a future article I have planned, but the hot weather didn't make that seem very appealing today. Instead, I decided to drive over to Premium Outlets and do some shopping. It was fun shopping in Versace, Armani, etc - but I decided I didn't need any $1000 little tops even with 25% or 50% off <g>. I looked in Character Premier also, but didn't find anything for anyone there. By 11:30 I was back at the resort and headed to catch the boat to Downtown Disney.


Soon the boat coming from PO Riverside arrived. It was full but 2 people disembarked here at French Quarter. The driver came over and asked for a party of 2. I was next in line behind a party of 3 and spoke up to say I was a party of 1. She continued to ask further back for a party of 2 and fortunately there wasn't one because I would have argued with her. I got there first and there was room on the boat for me - I'm not about to stand out in the hot July sun longer so some party behind me could go ahead of me to fill all of the seats! Anyway, she was a good driver and entertained everyone with trivia questions and information about what we were passing. It was a slow, HOT boat ride though, and I decided coming back I would welcome an air conditioned bus!


I walked through the Marketplace and got to Portobello Yacht Club about 15-20 minutes before our 12:30 lunch reservation. By that point I was eager to get out of the heat so I went inside and sat in their lobby area. They offered to seat me but I figured I'd just stay there until Larry & Jill arrived. It wasn't busy at all, and the staff were quite nice. They brought me a glass of ice water while I waited, which was very welcome! Once Larry & Jill arrived we were seated - they asked if we wanted to be inside or outside and I think we all were amazed that they'd think anyone would want to eat outside on such a miserably hot day!


Our server was very good, and the menu looked great. I got the tomato & mozzarella thing I like, along with a glass of Riesling. Larry got a mushroom, spinach & sausage pizza with a cup of minestrone, and Jill got the steak sandwich with a Caesar salad. They start you with warm bread served with butter and roasted garlic - very good. Everything was excellent, and we spent about 2 hours there sitting & chatting during and after lunch. It's a shame the place doesn't do more business at lunch, as it's a great spot!


We walked over to Ghiradelli for a chocolate sample, then walked back towards Pleasure Island. I went to the bus stop and Larry & Jill got their car from the PI parking lot. Soon the bus came, and I pretty much dozed the entire trip back. We stopped at Typhoon Lagoon first, then did the 4 stops at Riverside. When I woke up and saw we were there at first I was afraid I'd missed my stop and would be circling on the damn bus indefinitely, but we went to French Quarter after Riverside. Bleary-eyed I stumbled back to my room, set the alarm for 5pm and landed face down on the bed for more rest!


I had my arms under my head and woke up 30 minutes later when my arm fell asleep and started tingling, lol. It was after 3:30 and I felt refreshed, so I got online and updated the report. Once that was done I went for another walk around the resort and then drove over to Celebration to meet my friend Kathy when she got off work at 5:45. It was great seeing her again, and we had a terrific hour of catching up with the details of each other's lives.


When I got back to the resort around 7 there was an email from Leesa saying she'd be at PI tonight. I was thinking of going over but only staying for 1 show in order to come back and get some sleep. All week I have early morning jogging from 1 to 2 miles per day, then full days of meetings followed by nights at the Comedy Warehouse. I don't want to be sleeping through the meetings, so tonight might be my only chance to sleep more than a few hours. I left around 7:15, and decided not to bother changing my clothes since I wasn't going to spend the whole evening there (figured being dressed in exercise clothes at PI would be the encouragement I needed to beat a hasty retreat after the first show <g>).


Leesa was waiting in the Adventurer's Club, but I stopped to chat with Clinta for a few minutes at the outside Rock & Roll Beach Club bar before heading up to meet her. The Island was busy, considering it was so early! The main salon in Adv Club was full, so we moved into the quiet Treasure Room when the actors started doing their thing. At 8 we went over to Comedy Warehouse and met up with Rande. Tonight Jim Roberts was on the keys and the first show looked to be full (or very close to full).


The 8:20 cast was Philip, Robby, Matt, Lisa & Chris. Before the show Philip made one of his announcements - this time it was "If you have young children here, you're bad parents", lol! Robby opened the show and was very high-energy and animated, which helped get the audience going. He also got a good group of people on the phone interview, so the show was off to a great start. They did a western ballad about 3 people from Minneapolis (mom, son & aunt), poking fun at the son for traveling with his mother & aunt. Next was Story Telling, and I was glad to see it was Matt & Philip. They told "Slippery Potato" as a couple of farmers, and made it really funny.


They did Forgotten Songs next. Matt came out as Big Chief BoyIt'sHotOutHere to perform "Rain baby". Christine & Lisa were 2 prison inmates (Lisa was Martha Stewart) singing "Slam the door on me". Matt & Philip came in to the background as a couple of women taking showers. Robby & Philip had the funniest song, as 2 French chefs singing "The frogs are jumping". In Should Have Said Matt rang the bell for a scene involving Chris & Philip as a married couple. She had just eaten a pop tart that Philip had formed of rat poison to kill the rats living in their breakfast food cabinet. As she was preparing to die they each confessed a number of things, including her secret swiss bank account, her lover, and his involvement in a terrorist organization. Overall it was a really good first show!


I wasn't tired anymore at this point, but I forced myself to call it a night. I talked to Robby for a while after the show - I like that he has done so well in such a short period of time, and always looks comfortable & happy to be there on stage. He didn't have any awkward period that I'm aware of, and it was nice to hear he's enjoying himself. I went outside with Leesa & Rande, and found regular David on the bench. He'll be out to meet me tomorrow night, and Leesa should be back the following night, so I'll most likely have company for the shows all week!


I drove back to French Quarter and went to my room. I wanted a little something but didn't feel like going to the food court so I made some cappuccino and had a piece of biscotti while catching up online and watching the 10pm news. Today was a nice day - I'm glad to be back here, with another 5 nights of Comedy Warehouse ahead of me. Lunch with Larry & Jill was excellent, and it was wonderful seeing Kathy again. I'm enjoying the resort, but it's less impressive since I was in a dvc resort (Saratoga Springs) so recently - FQ is terrific, but as a moderate it just can't compare with the nicer resorts. It's much nicer than the value resorts though, and it's a place I would spend a weekend night or 2 in the future.

DAY 7 SUNDAY JULY 11, 2004


Who

Sue (me - 45), DVC member
Fortress/DVC friend Pat & daughter Cara
Fortress friend Amy/Missy & hubby Brian, sons Brian Jr. & Zach


Plan: C/in OKW, LeCellier lunch, Comedy Warehouse


Actual: I'd set the alarm for 5:15 and got ready quickly to go jogging. Today is a 1.5 mile day, which was achieved by running from the start of the path at French Quarter over and through Riverside and back to FQ. Luckily my room was at the beginning of the path, so I didn't have to backtrack at all. Running through WDW resorts is a little more interesting than running at home, although after the first ¼ mile I think I'm more absorbed in my own thoughts rather than really looking around to see what I'm passing (plus it's still dark outside). After returning to the room I showered & got dressed, hung out online for a little bit, then at 7 went to the food court to finally try the beignets.


I was concerned when they brought them to me because they looked huge, but I discovered they're really just a sugar-coated empty puff of fried dough. They were tasty, but I'm not sure they're something I'd get again - especially if I end up hungry 2 hours from now because they were just empty calories! I tried eating them on my way back to the room and ended up coated in powdered sugar @@ but at least then I knew to be careful with them! I made some hot chocolate, just in case the sugar content of my breakfast wasn't high enough yet.


Shortly after 7:30 I drove to OKW, which was a very short drive! I hadn't realized just how close FQ and OKW are. There was no wait to check in, and my studio was ready. I'm in building 35 in Old Turtle Pond, in a studio I've had several times before. It's a convenient location to the pool and the bus stop, neither of which are important to me this trip. It is top floor and a water view, which IS important to me. I chatted with Casey at bell services briefly on my way to the car (Angelo is off until Wednesday).


Once at building 35 it took 2 trips to bring all my stuff to the studio. An elevator would have been handy, lol, but splitting it into 2 trips wasn't too bad. I just dropped it all off and then went to the bus stop to catch the next Magic Kingdom Bus. By now it was 8 a.m. and early entry had just started there but I decided to risk going there anyway since I didn't want to do anything in the other parks. By the time the bus came we arrived around 8:40. I got a fastpass for Space Mountain, with a return time of 10:55 (2 hours later!) and noticed the standby wait was 25 minutes. Buzz looked like they had a very long line, and so did Pooh (15 minutes posted). I continued walking, finding a 25 minute wait at Peter Pan. I'm just not interested enough to wait that long for any of these attractions, especially in the heat, so I decided to wait for the rest of the park to open and get on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.


At 8:50 they let us walk over to Frontierland, then at 8:55 let us continue. However, Big Thunder wasn't working! HORDES of people were rushing towards Splash Mountain since now that was the only "big" option available, so I maneuvered out of the crowd and decided to ride Pirates of the Caribbean (primarily for the air conditioning). Besides me, there was a lady & her young daughter on my boat, and we all talked to each other up until we got to the real part of the attraction after the little drop - nice people! After Pirates I was going to ride Haunted Mansion but saw the line was completely filled in and extended out to that Yankee Trader store across from the Keel Boats! Yikes - looks like I'll skip this one, too! I decided to pass through Fantasyland again in case the crowds there had cleared out, but it was still way too busy for me.


At this point it was probably only 9:30 or so, and I knew I wasn't going to last here until my fastpass time at 10:55! I went to Space Mountain and the standby time was now only 15 minutes so I decided to get in line. It was a good decision, as the line soon started moving and never stopped until I was on a rocket (in less than 15 minutes). I enjoyed the ride, then took a turn on the TTA before leaving the park.


I needed to get some photos for a future article, so I took the monorail to the Contemporary and then continued, getting off at the Poly and then the Grand Floridian. The Grand Floridian had a bunch of unruly children running, jumping & sitting all over that big staircase, and a few more playing with the glass elevator (riding it up and down). Not sure where their parents were, but I guess if Chris was acting like them I'd be tempted to just ignore him and let him be someone else's problem too (NOT). I'm sure if any of the little darlings got hurt the parents would be quick to blame Disney - end of rant!


As I sat outside the GF waiting for the monorail and updating my notes a woman came over and asked if I was Sue Holland (thankfully a woman without unruly children or I might have snarled at her <g>). She turned out to be a MousePlanet reader from California and a new dvc member - Amy, it was very nice chatting with you! Of course, being recognized meant I had to be on good behavior - no knocking slower people to the ground to steal the best seats on the monorail or anything like that <g>.


Once I was back at the Magic Kingdom I still wasn't sure what to do next - go use the Space Mountain fastpass, take the bus to OKW or ride the boat to VWL - after a false start or two I decided the bus to OKW was my best bet at this time. It was too hot to be traipsing around a theme park or resort, plus I'd thought of something I wanted to try to do at Saratoga Springs before it got too late. The OKW bus was at the bus stop, but there was a problem with the lift. They moved it to another spot and finally got it operating so they could lower a guest's electric scooter. They had us board down there, and soon I was back at OKW.


I got off at the Peninsular Road stop and walked back to Hank's recreation window to inquire about jogging trails. At OKW it's basically just running around the perimeter inside the resort, out past building 55 to the path that runs over to the Marketplace. The cm cautioned I shouldn't run after dark though, because although it's lighted they do have bobcats, snakes & alligators that like to come out then. Holy crap! I wonder if they're more likely to be out after sunset vs just before sunrise - I'll probably risk it when I have to do the 2-mile run on Tuesday. I caught the next bus back to the studio and called over to Artist's Palette at Saratoga Springs to see if they had any of the yogurt parfait things left. They did, so I drove right over.


When I got there, they only had 1 left, and the cm said they'd just sold a whole bunch of them! They offered to make more up for me, so I waited around while they were nice enough to do that. I chatted with one of the managers there, and learned that although it has not been announced, they do plan to build a full-service restaurant after all (expect word in about 5 months). He also explained the Artist's Palette concept, which is not a run-of-the-mill food court but rather a slightly upscale eatery like a Panera. He pointed out they don't have burgers, hot dogs, etc here - which is confusing some guests who expect that. I tend to stick to my yogurt parfait and never noticed the other stuff, but looking at the menu it definitely is a bit better than your typical food court stuff.


Once the cm brought my parfaits I paid for them and returned to OKW. I bought 3, figuring that will be a healthy breakfast for Monday-Wednesday and I may swing by Wednesday and take a chance they'll still have some that afternoon for the rest of the trip. Finally I unpacked and got settled in to the studio for the week, then updated the trip report before leaving around 1 to meet friends at LeCellier!


I took the car - deciding getting into a hot car was the lesser evil compared to being held hostage by Disney transportation schedules. Also, the walk to LeCellier really isn't any further from BCV than it is from the bus stops! I don't do trams from the parking lot, and since I know the BCV lot is empty during the day I don't have any qualms parking there. With the member parking permit in my windshield they just wave me on through so they're evidently not concerned about it either.


After entering Epcot through the International Gateway it was cloudy so I decided to walk around World Showcase. Of course the sun came right back out, and it was a very HOT walk! Coming back to Canada I decided to wait inside LeCellier, and soon the others arrived. I met Amy's husband Brian and her 2 cute little boys. Pat & Cara I've met several times, and always enjoy their company. We were seated almost right away, and had a wonderful leisurely lunch. I decided to try a pinot grigio but didn't care for it so they brought me the Riesling instead. For my meal I had the cheese soup. Others had the cheese soup, Brian had the prime rib sandwich, Pat got the lobster roll (which she said was good), Cara got the kids' steak, Amy's boys got chicken nuggets, and Amy had a side Caesar salad which wasn't as good as it used to be. For dessert Amy got the maple crème brulee, which was pretty good. The boys got ice cream and the chocolate moose dessert. We were all full, but this served as lunch and dinner for all of us. We spent about 1.5 hours relaxing and chatting in there, then finally decided to venture back outside. The boys were really good sitting there for so long!


When we approached the exit I could see it was very dark outside, and there was lots of thunder and wind. The rain was just starting, so I decided to head back to OKW. Pat & Cara headed to the old Millenium Village to see the robot show, while Amy's family was headed for Magic Kingdom. Pat mentioned she had something for me from Hilton Head, and wanted my room number here - hmmmm, I have no idea what it is, but I can't wait to see what she's done <g>! Coincidentally, when I got online I had an email from Chef Gordon up there, giving me his new email address.


I drove back to OKW and then drove around inside to map out a 2-mile jogging path so I could avoid the official path. Now I just need to modify it for the 1 and 1.5 mile days. With the stormy weather I decided to get online and spend the next 2-3 hours in the studio, hoping it would end before I needed to head to Comedy Warehouse. I don't think I mentioned it earlier, but Steve is back from Los Angeles and will be performing for 3 nights. He & Mary both come in at the 10:30 show, so I will definitely be up late tonight to stick around for that. Getting the extra sleep last night was a smart move, as I haven't really been tired today at all.


Around 7:30 I drove over to Pleasure Island in the rain. I hate when it's like this, but since I'd told David I'd be there for the first show I wouldn't have felt right not showing up until later. I talked to Susan outside Comedy, then went to the Adventurer's Club to get out of the rain & humidity. David was downstairs with one of his lady friends, and I also saw Bob & Virginia down there. The rain had stopped by the time I came back outside, so I got some paper towels from the restroom to dry off the bench for everyone.


Jamie was on the keys tonight, and the 8:20 cast was Philip, Christine, Joy, Steve & Mark. I hadn't expected Steve until later and had no idea Mark was working tonight, so this was a nice surprise. They opened with a poem called "Camels on Rollerskates", which was cute. Christine led the others in creating a musical with the help of the audience. It was about Grandma stripping, and it took place in Eagle Pass, TX. Mark was the mayor and he & Steve were the Moral Right there to make the town a nice, decent place to live. Philip was Grandma the stripper, and Joy was a fellow elderly stripper. Their strip club had a theme of roadkill, and they stripped with dead animals. Philip had a cat and Joy had a chipmunk as props. Philip was rather raunchy (especially for a first show - but it was great). He was working the cat forward & back between his legs as he simulated a stripper's dance, and referred to the cat as "pussy". Mark called PETA on him & Joy, and in retaliation Philip began whipping Mark with the stuffed cat, which Mark liked. Philip made a comment about Mark enjoying being "pussy" whipped, which was quite a surprise! There were quite a few people who'd brought their young kids - perhaps they'll think twice next time <g>.


Next Joy rang the bell in Should Have Said, while Christine was in a toy store buying a slinky for a graduation present for her son. Mark was the sales clerk who was flirting with her and decided to become a daddy to her son, Steve was the supervisor who didn't approve of Mark's actions, and Philip was the very nerdy son. The closing number was suggested by the same lovely family who suggested grandma stripping earlier. This time it was about the mother who stole the daughter's obsession with Eeyore and their trip to wdw with more Eeyores than fit in their Expedition and the continued search for more Eeyores. The charming daughter said something about seeing Eeyore in the parks and acting (either her or her mother - not sure which) like she wanted to "hump" him. They were quite a family - but the cast did a great job on the song. Overall it was a terrific show - a bit wild for a first show, but I loved every minute!


I talked to Steve after the show, then headed outside for a brief wait until the next one. The 9:15 cast was Philip, Mark, Steve, Joy & Brian. Steve directed a scene where Brian & Joy were fencing, with a banana split being the prize for the winner. Brian was a rich guy, and Joy was his maid. She won, and there was a lot of innuendo about her wanting the banana - the biggest banana <g>. Philip came in as Reginald the cook, and Mark came in as Brian's wife. Joy announced she was pregnant, and although there had been several possible fathers she decided since Brian was the most recent she was going to say it was his baby. That news caused Brian to speak like Minnie Mouse, until Philip cured him by hitting him with a toilet seat. Brian ended up stabbing his wife (Mark), but didn't cause any harm because he/she has a roulette wheel in her gullet instead of having a heart. It was strange, but it was a really funny scene!


They did Forgotten Songs next. Brian & Steve were disgruntled tourists singing "Rental car blues." Mark was in the shower and Joy was on the toilet in "Don't flush - I'm in the shower." Philip was a bitter Mickey Mouse singing "A drunk Mickey Mouse", venting about the damn kids he sees and how he has to always act happy but is able to do so by drinking heavily. Overall it was another great show!


The 10:30 cast was Brian, Joy, Christine, Mary & Mark. They opened with a poem called "I need a bigger rock" about Ivana Trump, Donald, and her boyfriend Juan. Emotions was next, with Mark & Christine shopping for toilets. It moved quickly and was quite funny - but seemed somewhat short. They did Madrigal, conducted by Christine. The tabloid headlines were "Burt Reynolds has alien baby", "Michael Jackson is the next pope", "Abe Lincoln had a cocaine habit", and "OJ finds real killer". This was also very short, but it was good.


Scene Freeze was next, with some pretty funny positions. Joy had the word "go", Mary had nugget, Chris had superstition and Brian had Tinker Toy. They also did Should Have Said, with Mary ringing the bell. The scene took place in an airport, with Brian as an airline employee and the rest of the group passengers with one problem or another. They also did a closing number, so this show was really packed with a lot of structures, which is why each one seemed so short. Personally I would have preferred they dropped one of them and let the other scenes go a bit further.


I stopped to see Mary after the show, and saw Mark as well. I haven't seen him in a long time, and it was great finding him working tonight. I drove back to OKW and wasn't tired so I finished up the report and got it posted before turning out the lights around 12:45 or so.


Today was a good day, despite the Magic Kingdom crowds and the afternoon rain. I feel like I got a lot done, between the jogging, changing resorts, getting the yogurt things from Saratoga, meeting friends for lunch, and then of course Comedy Warehouse. The rest of the reports will be almost entirely Comedy Warehouse, since I don't plan to bore people with details of my meetings and there won't be time to do much of anything besides work & Comedy Warehouse.

DAY 8 MONDAY JULY 12, 2004


Who

Sue (me - 45), DVC member
The infamous Wilmots from Scotland - Larry, Jill, Greg & Ed
Splitting her time between Kissimmee and Comedy Warehouse - Leesa
Fortress/DVC friend Pat & daughter Cara
Yahoogroups Goddess - Rande


Plan: Meeting, Comedy Warehouse


Actual: This morning I was up at 5:15, and out running a mile by 5:30. Breakfast was one of the yogurt parfaits (delicious) and round 8 I left to drive to my meeting at the Florida Mall. After a productive day we finished this meeting by 3pm and I was back at OKW in time to see most of General Hospital. I ended up taking a little catnap during Oprah, and then around 5:30 headed over to Animal Kingdom.


I'd hoped to do Primeaval Whirl and Dinosaur, so I headed to DinoLand right away. Primeaval Whirl had a posted 25-minute wait so I went to Dinosaur instead. There the standby time was posted as 25 minutes but it was really more like 10-15. After capturing the dino I left the ride and tried Primeaval Whirl again but it was up to 35-minutes at this point. There was no way I was going to wait in line, so I left the park and drove back to OKW.


We'd had some disturbing news at work today, so I tried calling a co-worker but wasn't able to reach him. When I got into the studio my cousin was instant messaging me with news her mother/my aunt had passed away this afternoon. She'd been sick, and I'd recently sent her a card with what I figured would be my final message, so at least there weren't any unresolved issues. Unfortunately the services are all scheduled for this week (in Boston) so I cannot attend. Finally, shortly after 7 I drove over to Downtown Disney to replace sad thoughts with some good comedy shows.


I decided I wanted a decent glass of wine, and the only place I could think of at Downtown Disney was Wolfgang Puck's Express over at the Marketplace. They sell wines by the glass, and had a decent pinot grigio so I bought that and a cookie to save for later. As I was walking out my friend from work called, and could tell something wasn't quite right. Instead of consoling him over the work situation, he ended up doing the consoling over my aunt and providing some practical advice on whether or not to make the trip to Boston. I sat on a shady bench with my wine and phone, until I realized I'd better get my rear in gear or I'd be late for Comedy Warehouse!


I dropped the cookie off at the car, and was able to walk into PI with my plastic glass of wine. I wasn't sure that was allowed, and did not want to have to guzzle it down in order to enter! I headed to the Adventurer's Club and ran into Pat & Cara coming out of there. Pat brought me a pretty (& big) mug from Hilton Head that she said would be good for my cappuccino - thanks again, Pat! I loved it, and will use it quite often since I sometimes make a big mug of the stuff. We went inside and I found Leesa, and then Larry's family. I made the introductions and chatted with Larry & Jill until it was time to head over to Comedy Warehouse. Pat & Cara were able to join me at the door, where Leesa was already waiting. Soon our friend Rande arrived to round out the group.


Jamie was on the keys again tonight, and the 8:20 cast was Philip, Joy, Jake, Mary & Christine. They did Styles, where the scene had to be performed in certain styles of movies, tv, music and plays. Jake & Christine created a very funny scene involving a pillow for their dog. It moved along quickly and was very good - especially when they were in the style of Dr Seuss and rhyming everything! They did Schmeopardy next, hosted by Jake as Alex No Neck, lol. Mary was a drunk homemaker named Sally Seagram, and her jokes about white guys were really funny. Philip was a Russian named Ivan who sells t-shirts on highway 192 in Kissimmee. Joy was a rotten-attitude Walmart greeter named Suzanne. Overall it was a good show, and the time seemed to fly by. I was glad to see Steve and knew he'd be in the next show. We chatted with Larry's family outside until the next show was seated.


The 9:15 cast was Steve, Jake, Mary, Christine & Philip. They opened with the poem "I married the dog." They did Forgotten Songs next, with Jake & Christine as 2 kids singing "Life sucks, go eat a gummy bear" about their allowance being insufficient. Steve was a nerd and Mary was his attractive girlfriend singing "Soren Kirkengard (sp???) is my hero", from Nerd the Musical - this was very good. Philip was a Scottish golfer singing "Tee it up" and making fun of golf in a very funny song.


Up Your Alley was next, hosted by Steve as a guy named Jim. I realized I'd missed a call from my work friend and went up to the restroom to return the call before it got too late. As it turned out, he was just checking to see that everything was ok before he turned in for the night, which was really thoughtful. I missed a good portion of the set-up for Up Your Alley though, so my notes aren't very complete. The topic for the show was DNA manipulation. Jake was a Hardee's employee named Greg, but I missed the DNA connection. Philip was Igor, and I have no idea what he was supposed to be, but he was very funny. He kept leaning over practically onto Mary's lap, and was wearing a long robe. Mary was Professor Etta Mology, who studied the history of the 3 letters D, N and A. Overall it was another good show, but it needed to be my last one for the evening since tomorrow is going to be a busy day.


I chatted with Mary briefly, and said my goodnights to everyone. Rande was leaving too, so we walked out together - running into another person I know who was also leaving. Maybe tomorrow I can stay for 3 shows, since my Wednesday will be a shorter day than my Tuesday! I drove back to OKW and made a cup of cappuccino and had a piece of biscotti since I never did actually have dinner (except for the glass of wine).


For whatever reason, when it rains it pours and tonight I had emails from quite a few people I don't hear from every day, and needed to take time to reply, so I didn't actually gain much sleeping time by leaving PI early <g>. I also researched the address of the funeral home and ordered flowers, and received instant messages from people I haven't been in touch with for months (that includes you, John <g>). It was after midnight before I turned out the lights, with the alarm set for 5 so I can do a 2-mile jog. Hopefully tomorrow will be a nice dull day without any bad news from anywhere! To those of you who've sent emails and haven't gotten a reply - I'm not ignoring you, but I hope to get caught up by Wednesday.

DAY 9 TUESDAY JULY 13, 2004


Who

Sue (me - 45), DVC member
The infamous Wilmots from Scotland - Larry, Jill, & Greg
Splitting her time between Kissimmee and Comedy Warehouse - Leesa
Yahoogroups Goddess - Rande, and hubby Kyle


Plan: Meeting, Comedy Warehouse


Actual: The radio/alarm came on at 5, and it was time to get up for my 3rd 2-mile run of this training program. My time today was 26 minutes, which isn't very good for a serious runner but I was very happy with it. As long as the walkers don't pass me during the marathon I'll be happy, lol! Breakfast was yogurt parfait & cappuccino again, and I got online to catch up on email. I'd received a link to an article in our local paper breaking the news of my workplace's phasedown & eventual closure. We've known for almost 2 months, but there's been no press release from Tallahassee about it yet. It pretty much sucks that the parents of some of our severely disabled residents will learn of our closure (and the need for their family members to move) in the morning paper instead of hearing it from our Department! We weren't permitted to say anything, though.


A couple of my dept heads called early in the morning to discuss issues, and I was on the road by 8 for my meeting. It ran until almost 5:30, so it was a long day - but I had the opportunity to spend time with a few new, key people who will be helpful down the road. Lunch was in the food court at the mall, and I tried something called tabulleh. It sort of reminded me of the tomato/cucumber salad I used to get at Tangierine Café, but with a LOT of parsley and a weird flavor. I wondered what the little white things were in there, and my friend Mike was very helpful saying it looked like Styrofoam pieces <g>. I won't get it again, but I ate it today. The afternoon was busy with calls to/from my offices in Ft Myers and Miami, resolving an unnecessary headache with a Miami staff member. I guess on the bright side - it's easier wandering around the lobby talking on the phone than sitting in a meeting room listening to pretty dry budget talk!


I got back to OKW about 6 and stopped at the front desk to pick up a fax that had been sent to me today. Marti was working at the DVC desk, so I spent some time visiting with her - that was a pleasant surprise! When she'd get a phone call I'd review my fax (the proof copy of the next issue of our newsletter at work), so I got the proofing done and can tell the printer to go ahead with it tomorrow. Guests stopped by needing Marti to work, so I left and drove back to the studio.


I had 8-9 emails from work - stuff to review & comment on mostly. After taking care of that it was after 6:30 - so much for having an easy day! I took care of my personal emails as well, then downloaded the message board stuff and got changed into more casual clothes for the evening. Around 7 I drove to Downtown Disney, and had to visit a 2nd parking lot before finding a place to park the car! I went to the Marketplace for a Ghiradelli sample, and thought about getting a glass of decent wine from Puck's but just walked around instead. When I entered PI I chatted with Clinta for a few minutes, learned he only had the crappy wines at his bar too, and then went to the Adventurer's Club thinking I might swing by Jazz to buy something decent when it opened at 8.


I went into Adventurer's Club but didn't see Leesa. She called me as I turned to leave, having seen me from her seat in the Treasure Room! I went down there & joined her until it was time to head over to Comedy Warehouse. We met Larry, Jill & Greg outside and they joined us for the first 2 shows. Jim Roberts was on the keys tonight.


The 8:20 cast was Philip, Joy, Jake, Steve & Lisa. Joy rang the bell in Should Have Said, with Jake as a grave digger and Philip as someone they thought was dead but had just woken up. Jake buried him anyway, and Steve came in as Jake's conscience. Jake ended up digging Philip back up in this funny scene. Next they created a musical, directed by Jake with audience suggestions. The scene took place inside the human heart, with Philip as a corpusal. It was Steve's heart, and his doctor Joy prescribed no exercise and plenty of fast food for him. Later Steve came in as fat inside the heart area, and Lisa came in as drugs. I personally didn't care for the scene much, but some of the others did. They closed with a song about a guy who'd farted and messed his underwear while golfing. The guy went behind a palm tree and took them off, then left them hanging on the tree! It was a gross story, but they all did a great job with their verses!


After the show I talked to Steve, relaying a message from an old friend. It's a shame he only has 1 night left this visit, but I'm glad it fell during my trip this time. Soon it was time for the next show!


The 9:15 cast was Joy, Jake, Lisa, Mary & Philip. They did Song Cue, where the scene is interrupted 3 times to create a song from the last line of dialogue spoken. Philip & Mary were building a house and he insisted on 2 walls to make it safer. It came out that he also had 3 wives besides Mary, but he broke it off with all of them (including Steve) when she found out. They did a rock & roll song called "I had a feeling", a disco song called "I'm embarrassed", and then closed the scene with a Broadway-style song called "We'll never speak of them again."


Schmeopardy was next, hosted by Mary as Alice Quebec. Joy was Carla, a worker who makes molded plastic parts for GM cars and enjoys sniffing the scent of the hot plastic. Jake was a teacher from Texas, and Lisa was a creepy nurse named Bernice who loves to give people shots & draw blood. It was a good Schmeopardy, with several funny questions to the answers. They closed with a pet peeve suggested by Larry about Jill being geographically challenged. It was a funny song, and I don't think Jill was offended at all. It's always funny to hear the cast respond to Larry's accent by mocking him <g>!


After the show I said goodbye to Larry & Jill until the next trip. Larry had been saying it would be 2 years, but I don't think either of us really believe that <g>. They headed to DisneyQuest to pick up Ed (they fly home tomorrow). Mary came over and we went outside to chat for a while. Rande's husband Kyle had arrived, so I met him and he joined us for the next show.


The 10:30 cast was Mary, Steve, Matt, Jake & Joy. They did Emotions, with Joy & Steve in a pharmacy. It was very funny! Jake came out next and recited a poem called "Bread is Love" - weird but cute. They did Scene Freeze, rotating between 4 different scenes each started by 1 actor with a particular suggestion. Mary had wood, Matt had steel mill worker, Jake had balloon and Steve had Christmas decorations. It was a lot of fun to watch - and was funny even without considering the weird physical positions this structure showcases. Next Matt rang the bell in Should Have Said, where Mary & Jake were getting married. Steve was in as Mary's mother, and Jake decided he couldn't marry her because when he saw Steve he realized what Mary would look like in 30 years <g>! Overall it was a good show, and a very enjoyable evening.


I drove back to OKW and took care of the new email, then started uploading the photos. Doing it each night saves me a bunch of time after I get home! I had planned to finish the report tomorrow and get some sleep tonight, but things don't always go as planned. I'll be up jogging in about 3.5 hours, but I've got a relatively easy day tomorrow and can always catnap tomorrow afternoon if needed.

DAY 10 WEDNESDAY JULY 14, 2004


Who

Sue (me - 45), DVC member
Splitting her time between Kissimmee and Comedy Warehouse - Leesa
Patron of the Arts - Patty


Plan: Meeting, Comedy Warehouse


Actual: Once again I was up at 5, but today only had 1 mile to jog. Somehow what felt like a long distance 4 weeks ago doesn't seem so bad today - oh, who am I kidding??? It still feels long, just not AS long <g>. Back in the studio I finished uploading photos while I showered, and ate the last yogurt parfait for breakfast. Just before 7 I headed over to Saratoga Springs to buy yogurt parfaits for the next 2 mornings, but found Artist's Palette didn't open until 7:30. One of my dept heads called while I was there, and updated me on what he'd found in Miami the past 2 days - I keep thinking that I'll stop being surprised by the problems discovered there but it hasn't happened yet! I returned to OKW and hung out online until another dept head called around 7:30 with an update on some issues in her dept. She needed to fax me something when she got to work, so since I had to go to the car to get the OKW fax number off yesterday's fax I decided to make another run to Saratoga Springs after all.


The cast members working there are relatively bored and so friendly they practically accost you with their "good morning" and "welcome home" greetings! LOL, it's a nice thing though. I bought 2 of the yogurt parfaits and they gave me the Disney Dining discount even though I'd left the card back in the studio with my "vacation" wallet. After dropping the yogurt off in my fridge I went back to the car to drive to my meeting. I thought we might finish by noon, but we encountered a couple of issues that required extended conversation - finishing up by 1:30 instead. Overall it was very productive, and I was glad I'd set it up. Rather than joining anyone for lunch at the mall I decided to return to WDW hoping I'd have time to relax.


I stopped at the Marketplace and bought a caprese sandwich at Earl of Sandwich - surprised to find no wait at all even though almost every table was occupied. I brought the sandwich to the car and drove to OKW, stopping at the front desk to pick up my fax. I had to wait in line, then finally got the fax, drove to the studio and couldn't find my key. I drove back to the front desk but the cast member didn't have my key there, so she just made me a new one and canceled the missing one. Finally I got to my studio almost an hour after leaving the mall!


I got online and took care of the work emails first, and spent some time on the phone with a couple of people. General Hospital was on in the background, but it was a depressing episode because Lila Quartermaine died (the real-life actress recently passed away). I intended to do the minutes from my meeting, but instead worked on a project for a friend and basically wasted the entire afternoon in terms of doing any work.


At almost 6pm I did finally start work on the minutes, since I didn't need to be anywhere just yet. Just before 7 I was almost finished but had lost interest, so I got dressed for the evening and drove over to Downtown Disney. I wandered around and sat on a bench to take a long phone call, then at 8pm went and found Leesa at the Adventurer's Club. She was getting up to walk over to Comedy Warehouse, so I waited for her upstairs and we walked over together. Tonight John DeHaas was on the keys.


The 8:20 cast was Lisa, Joy, Steve, Mary & Jake. They did Song Cue, with Jake & Steve as college roommates who had gotten drunk and kissed the night before at a party. Jake was straight but Steve was gay. For the 3 songs they did "I'll wear your pants" as a Broadway number, "I was fearful for my life" in reggae, and "Square One" as a polka. It was a funny scene. Up Your Alley was next, hosted by Jake as Elmer. The topic was roller coaster engineering. Joy was an annoying Candy Rivas who rides in the front of coasters and makes train whistle noises. Lisa was either Kinky or Kiki - a dizty blonde who designs roller coasters by drawing them on paper. Mary was great as Dr. Laura Messenger, a marriage engineer who explains how different roller coasters describe different types of marriages. Overall it was a really good show!


After the show I talked to Steve and Mary, then saw Patron of the Arts Patty had arrived, along with Jason. I was glad Patty didn't have to work tonight, as we had lots of good dirt to discuss <g>.


The 9:30 cast was Joy, Steve, Jake, Lisa & Robby. They opened with a poem called "A 40-pound tub of lasagna." Next the show got really good - Jake did the interview in a This is Your Life involving a lady in the audience who'd published her autobiography. Jake asked her what was the first memory in her book, and she replied child molestation! I thought Jake was going to fall off his stool, lol - there was a brief silence, and Steve came out on stage to punch the time clock saying "I might as well punch out now" as if he was leaving. Jake asked for more Disney-like issues, like pets & hobbies, and settled on her first boyfriend. His name was Charles Nelson, so they acted out the scene from the past of her getting ready for their first date. Lisa was the lady, and Steve was her dad. Lisa set the tone by saying "don't touch me", in reference to the child molestation thing, and Steve kept his hands in the air while claiming his innocence. She'd repeat this to every male character she encountered the rest of the structure, and it was hysterical. Robby came in as an over the top Charles Nelson Reilly, and did an amazing job at it! The lady also worked as a paramedic and claimed her favorite part of the job was being able to put her hands inside gunshot wounds (what the heck???). They acted out that scene, with Robby having been shot. Lisa went over to him, told him "don't touch me" and then put her hands inside his wound and started pulling out his organs until she found the bullet. It was probably the funniest This is Your Life I've seen, and I almost always enjoy this structure.


Steve led the others in a Madrigal, which was also excellent tonight. The tabloid headlines gave them a great assortment of words to mix around, which helped. The headlines were "Bush adopts Iraqi baby", "Bin Laden comes back as Jesus Christ", "Aliens admit Michael Jackson is one of their own" and "Jesse Jackson got caught in a strip club." Scene Freeze was next, and although it didn't match the 2 previous structures it was still good. Robby had holding hands, Jake had civil war, Joy had iron and Steve had engineer. To close the show they created a song about the pet peeve of the noise a windshield wiper makes.


It was a great show, and afterwards we talked to the cast about the This is Your Life scene. They had fun with it, too - despite early concern over the child molestation thing. That's not exactly "Disney"! Chris had called, so I talked to him after I got outside, then spent the rest of the break swapping tales with Leesa, Jason & Patty.


The 10:30 cast was Steve, Mary, John, Robby & Lisa. John led the others in creating a play, using suggestions from the audience. Robby & Lisa were a drugged-out hippie couple in Woodstock, NY. He'd left the military with a purple heart for stepping in dog manure (the reason for his limp). She'd thought he deserted her when he joined the military, so she married his hippie brother (Steve). Mary came in to the scene and while Robby was singing the others were pretending to make out with each other as a group (orgy). Eventually Lisa decided she loved Robby best after all, after the drugs wore off - so the play celebrating choosing adultery <g>!


Next they did Cliché, torturing Steve since it was his last night. The scene took place in a surf shop, and the cliché was "It's a long road if you travel it alone." The beginning clue was excellent - Lisa & Robby walked quickly together across the stage, then John walked it very very slowly alone, pausing to catch his breath for further effect. The rest of the clues were good as well, and Steve did an excellent job figuring it out. The closing number was about an embarrassing moment when a former patient recognized a surgical technician in the grocery store and shouted "I remember you - you're the one who shaved my nuts"! Disney changed it to "privates" and took the story, making a funny closing song.


I said goodnight to Mary on the way out, then Patty, Jason, and walked towards the exit with Leesa. I can't believe I only have 1 night left here, and Leesa can't believe I really won't be back until Labor Day weekend (it's true - out of character for me, but with the work travel I can't get away as often as I used to). I drove back to OKW and started uploading photos while I updated the report and did email. Today was a great day - work was satisfying, and the rest of the day was filled with one pleasant moment after another.


Tomorrow will be another long meeting day, followed by bringing people for their first Comedy Warehouse visit. It's possible that report might not get written & posted until Friday afternoon, along with the link to the Comedy Warehouse photos.

DAY 11 THURSDAY JULY 15, 2004


Who

Sue (me - 45), DVC member
My second in command at work - "Belle" & her twin sister Rose


Plan: Meeting, Comedy Warehouse


Actual: Once again I was up at 5, and today did a 1.5 mile run. I'm looking forward to tomorrow, which is my day off from running! Breakfast was the usual yogurt parfait but with English toffee hot chocolate instead of cappuccino. I did my 7:30 update with one of my dept heads, then finished getting ready and was out the door to drive to my meeting by 8. It was a rather tedious day, since some of the agenda topics didn't apply to me. I did avoid much of it due to 2 conference calls and several other calls - but I was like a yoyo up and down coming and leaving the room most of the day (sat in the back to be the least disruptive possible). At 4:45 I told Belle to pack up her stuff as we were